ABSTRACT
Genomic medicine has provided tremendous advantage in the identifi cation of subjects at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in particular atherosclerotic heart disease. Several genes and loci have been identifi ed with the use of advanced technologies, while signifi cant scientifi c efforts are currently being directed towards the investigation of these and other markers. In the same way, proteomics and metabolomics research have provided considerable evidence about specifi c biomarkers that are linked to atherosclerosis. In this chapter we will fi rst provide an overview of the different techniques in genomics and proteomics that are currently being used in biomedical research and their applications in cardiovascular medicine. Then, we will describe specifi c genetic markers linked to coronary atherosclerosis with a review of the evidence behind them. Finally we will review the proteomic markers associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease and we will discuss those biomarkers that have the most robust evidence as risk factors of coronary atherosclerosis, and the limitations in the interpretation of proteomics in atherosclerosis.
